Trailer type dumping vehicle



Oct. 29, 1935. G. H. coNNoRs TRAILER TYPE DUMPING VEHICLE Filed sept.

14, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 oct- 29, 1935' G. H. cONNoRs `'IVRILER TYPE DUMPING VEHICLE Filed Sept. 14, 1954 6 Shets-Sheet 2 GEORGE 17.@ 60N/vaas.-

Oct. 29, 1935. G. H. coNNoRs TRAILER TYPE DUMPING VEHICLE Filed Sept. 14, 1934 6 Sheefcs-Sheet 3 O O b m N w 8 .d R w G G Sheets-Sheet 4 Oct. 29, 1935. G H, CONNORS TRAILER TYPE DUMPING VEHICLE Filed Sepl'.. 14, 1954 Oct. 29, 1935. coNNoRs TRAILER TYPE DUMPING VEHICLE Y Filed Sept. 14, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Oct. 29, 1935. G. H, coNNoRs TRAILER TYPE DUMPING VEHICLE Filed sept. 14, 1954 Illlllll/(I wuW/lo/L 'G50/PGE H. CoM/ORS.

6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STTES A-A'r'r orifice 2,018,838 TRAILER TYPE DUMPING VEHICLE George H. Connors, Edgerton, Wis., assigner to Highway Trailer Company, Edgerton, Wis., a

corporation the motive power is capable of connection and disconnection from a trailer or pay-load vehicle commonly called a semi-trailer.

'It has been proposed before in this field of combination vehicles to employ a dumping trailer vehicle structure wherein the trailer body is mounted on the trailer frame and equipment is provided for raising and lowering the body relatively to its frame or chassis whereby to obtain the dumping action.

The present invention aims to obtain a construction of dumping trailer wherein the dumping operation of the trailer body is obtained by elevation or raising of the trailer chassis and pay-load body as one unit. This is particularly advantageous in that it eliminates the necessity l for providing an independent trailer chassis and body frame movably mounted thereonsuch as heretofore have been required both in respect to trailer and truck dumping body vehicles.

In the employment of tractor-trailer combination vehicles, the trailer or pay-load body is oonnected with the traction vehicle customarily by means of a fifth wheel arrangement or device which enables the detachment of the trailer from a tractor, usually to facilitate the loading of the trailer body whilst the traction vehicle is being used elsewhere for the pulling of another trailer or other trailers to a place of unloading or for reloading.

In the carrying out of the present invention it is contemplated, in order to obtain the advantage of a unit construction of trailer and pay-load body, that the lifting or raising means for causing dumping action of the trailer body shall be directly connected with the fifth wheel member at the front end of the trailer, thereby to enable the direct elevation of the trailer chassis and body thereon. To this end the trailer body raising or elevating device of the present invention is mounted upon the traction vehicle for direct cooperation and lifting of the fifth wheel device which is carried by said vehicle and which is connected with the fth wheel device of the trailer. It is believed that the provision of elevating means for the fifth wheel mechanism intermediate the tractor and trailer vehicles as presented in this invention is a unique and novel provision not heretofore used.

W'hen the dumping operation for a trailer body involves the complete bodily elevation of the trailer chassis and body as a unit, a relative bodily movement oi' the trailer vehicle and the tractor vehicle is compelled, and this involves a movement of the trailer upon its supporting wheels toward the tractor, or a movement .of the tractor rear- .B wardly toward the trailer. In other words, a sort of jackkniiing movement of the trailer and tractor vehicles is required when the dumping operation of the trailer body is effected, and then, when the dumping is completed and the vehicles are to 10 be restored to their traveling positions, the trailer body and chassis are lowered so that the vehicles become horizontally aligned as usual. By reason of the foregoing phase of operation of the combination vehicles, it is contemplated, according to l5 the novel provisions of this invention, to provide brake equipment so that power brakes maybe applied to the trailer to hold that .vehicle stationary and cause the tractor to backV rearwardly relatively thereto to effect dumping, and likewise $0 independent braking mechanism is employed for the tractor so that if the tractor brakes be applied and the trailer brakes unapplied, the dumping operation obtained by jacking-kniflng the trailer relatively to the tractor will bring the trailer by 25 bodily movement in the direction of the tractor.

The present invention includes additionally novel features of mechanism such that the drive action of the power take-off devices which are used to raise and lower the trailer for dumping 30 may be automatically discontinued when the trailer chassis and its body have been elevated to the predetermined limit of movement or full dumping position; and such that this drive action may likewise be discontinued when the trailer $5 has been lowered under power control to its normal traveling position.

This invention includes also the employment of control parts associated with the mechanism last above referred to, such that there is no 11- 0 abilty of shifting of the power take-off mechansm in a manner that would produce operation of the raising and lowering devices for the trailer in the wrong direction. In other words, when the trailer is down in its normal position, the 5 controlling means for the power take-olf cannot be operated wrongly to attempt to lower the trailer any further; and when the trailer has been elevated toits dumping position, it is impossible, by reason of the control mechanism, for the 50 trailer to be moved beyond the limit of its complete dumping inclination.

This invention involves certain more specific and detailed features of construction of special advantage and novelty as will be more fully set 55 forth in conjunction with the following detailed description and the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tractor-trailer combination vehicle illustrating the invention applied thereto and showing in dotted lines the trailer raised to its full dumping position.

Figure 2 is an illustration in perspective of the combination vehicle abo-ve referred to, showing how the trailer may be adjusted at a greater or lesser angle in reference to the tractor vehicle and the elevation of the trailer performed effectively for adjusting the same for its dumping operation.

Figure 3 is a partial plan view bringing out more clearly the method of mounting. the tractor fifth wheel upon the lifting frame or. member of the same vehicle, some of the parts of the lifting mechanism itself that are associated with said lifting member being shown.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side view bringing outta little more clearly the mounting means between the tractor` fifth wheel and lifting member.

Figure 5 is a view of certain of the parts shown in Figure 4, viewing the fifth wheel from the rear.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary View, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing aside of the lifting frame or member with its oifstanding bracket connected to the lifting rack, the said lifting rack, and the guide yokewithwhich the rack operates.

Figure 7 is a side view looking laterally toward the parts as shown in Figure 6 and bringing out the lifting pin and slotconnection between'the upper end of one of the lifting racks andan 01T- standing bracket of the lifting" member ofthe frame.

Figure 8 isa sectionalview with some parts i1- "lustrated in plan, looking down on the power transmitting devices intermediate the power take-oif-shaft andthe lifting racks.

Figure 9 is aview4 of certainofthe parts shown infFigure 8, looking from a point at the left of 5:1 Figure 8, and illustrating.v more clearly the drive worm shaft, drive worm, andi driven worm gear of the saidpower Vtransmitting gearing.

Figure 10 is a View showing more fully the pinion drive for one of the lifting racks andthe yoke which is illustrated in Figure 6.

Figure 11 is a.= fragmentary view illustrating more fullyA the knock-out mechanism which'controls the discontinuance of the drive action of K the power take-off mechanism at'the uppenlimit of dumping movement of the trailer and atY the limit of the lowering movement of the trailer.

Figure 12 is a view of the parts shown in Figure ll, but looking at them from the right side of said parts of Figure ll.

` Setting forth' the general features of the tractor-trailer vehicle combination with which the present invention is used, reference is made to Figure l in which the tractor vehicle is designated A and the trailer vehicle is designated B. The tractor vehicle A comprises a suitable chassis or frame I mounted upon the rear wheels 2 and having the usual front wheels and steering mechanism, not illustrated. The cab of the tractor vehicle is designated C. The trailer B, which is the pay-load vehicle, is, generally speaking, of a known type commonly called a semi-trailer, equipped as shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the rear supportingV or traveling wheels 3 and coinprising also the chassis or frame 4 and pay-load bodyf 5.' The type of 'body illustrated may be usually employed for the transporting of coal or the like, but this phase of construction is immaterial so long as the body 5 is one of a design adapted for dumping the contents thereof when the front end of the body is elevated. Upon the rear end of the tractor chassis or frame i are carried bolster blocks 6 upon which are supported saddle members] which form apartofthe tractor fifth Wheel mounting means.

As seen best in Figure 3, the tracto-r fifth wheel 8 is of a well-known type embodying the split fifth wheel structure providing the V-opening 9 for centering and guiding the king pin on the trailer into the kingpin receiving socket I0 of said' fifth` whee138. This fifth wheel 8 may be saidgenerally to be of the design of the Martin et al. Patent No. 1,412,025, the spring mounting parts being substantially the same to accom ItV is customary, asabove indicated, for fifth Y wheels 8 ofthe type of the invention to be mounted for resilient or yielding fore and aft movement to absorb the shocks of the coupling of the tractor with the trailer asV the tractor is backed into the trailer to cause the entry of the king pin on the front end of the latter, into the socket IS of the fifth wheel. The shock absorbing means comprisesbo-xings or housings I2 enclosing colledsprings i3 engaging with the opposite sides of bearing members I4 that receive the shaft H and properly connect and hold the shaft on the fifth wheel 8. This aiords a construction such that the fifth wheel 8 may move bodily forwardly and rearwardly relative to its mounting upon the shaft Il on which it is ,tiltable andby which it is supported upon the tractor in a detachable manner by reason of the saddle members 1.

Thus far, therefore, there has been set forth a fifth wheel construction and mounting means carriedby the tractor but which is elevatable in reference to the latter, to be lifted simultaneously with the elevationof the front end of the trailer in a manner now to be more fully set forth.

The trailerl and fifth wheel lifting means comprises a tubular or sleeve-like bearing and supporting member` i5, see Figure 5, through whichy the shaft Il passes, said shaft likewise passing through the housings i2 which extend downwardly from the under-side of the fifth wheel' to afford the rocking mounting enabling the tilting action of said fifth wheel. The ends of the shaft ll are freely exposed so that they may freely pass throughand out ofi the recesses 7a of the saddle members 1 previously referred to. The supporting member i5, relative to which the fth wheel has pivotal movement, is equipped with a forwardly extending trunnion member l1 mounted in a suitable bearing in the crosspiece morenas pivoted to vertical supporting brackets.20,.t see vFigure l, on the frame orchassis-of the :tractor .A

at a point somewhat in advanceoflthe mounting of the fifth wheel 8 upon said tractor.

The connection of the lifting member or frame l I9 with the fifth wheel is establishedby .thetrunnion member l1 disposed Vlongitudinally-or parallel with the surface of the combination tractortrailer vehicle, thus allowing for moviementfof the fifth wheel about such axis member l1. Additionally the said connection is established' by the transverse axis mounting of the shaft H-'which passes through the supportingsleevexorsmember I5 so that in practical eect a universal -joint Vconnection is created between the fth` wheel 8 and the lifting memberor frame :t9 owing tozthe employment of the aXis membersltand' l1- at right angles to each other.

'For the lifting of Y the .trailerA and the :"fth wheel 8 for dumping operation ofxthe former, there are provided lifting bars 2|, the;upperends of which are pivotally connected by'pivotpins22 with brackets 23 that project inwardly from the sides of the lifting member or A-frame. I9. The

pins 22 pass through pivotlugs 24 which, as` seen in Figure 7, are elongated to provide vertical slots '25 for a purpose to be more fully presented hereinafter. Formed on the lifting bars 2| arentwo racks 2id which mesh with the teeth of 'lifting pinions 25, the racks being heldin engagement with the said pinions by means of pivoted yokes 21, see Figures 10 and 6, the yokes having rollers u28 to travel in contact with the smooth sidesof tractor vehicle A. To the above endanysuitable type of power take-off mechanismfromlthe transmission of the tractor .vehicle may be vdrive sprocket connected by a sprocket 'chainf3'4 to a driven sprocket 35, see Figure 8. The driven sprocket 35 is mounted upon a' worm shaft 36 having the driving worm 31 engaging the dri-ven worm gear 38 keyed to a countershaftsarranged parallel to the pinionshaft'i29. The

V,worm gear shaft 39 carries thespur gear 40 meshing with a spur gear 4I keyed to -the pinion shaft 29, and by the gearing IjustA described the power may be transmitted through the power take-off means to the liftingrpinions 26 on the pinion shaft 29 aforesaid. The drive from the transmission gearing in the transmission housing 62 of the tractor vehicle is controlled lby the customary control lever 43, which, when shifted into one position, will cause turning of the drive shaft 3l in one direction, when shifted lin another position will cause rotation of said shaft 3| in a reverse direction, and when the lever 43 is placed at neutral, the saidpower take-oli drive shaft 3| will be idle. Since thepowertake-off :mechanism at the transmission housing'dZis `offa conventional type,itheidetails thereof are immaterial tol thecirrvention andare not fully illusvtrated:because-well known to .those versed in this art. l

Itziseobvious .that when the lever 3 is ad- ,fjusted to cause operation of the shaft 3| for lelefvationof'the trailer when it is in the full line positionof Figure 1, the power drivewill be transmitted to `the pinion shaft 29, causing rota- :aton.11of.thepinions 26 and upwardmovement of 'the 'lifting bars 2|l through the instrumentality of thei-driving wormrgearing including theV parts 38, 39, 40,. and 4I. Obviously, the'worm gearing iemployed affords a self-locking action so that the :pay-load :body or trailer may, if desired, be fstoppedrin: any positionduring its upward move- -ment and held v'in such position. 'Ihe foregoing .tlikewise isxtrue. so far as downward movement .'of, theV pay-load body or trailer is concerned.

the normal use ofthe invention thetrailer will. be'. elevated to. its dumping position by raising: it thez maximum distance of its movement `underthezlifting force of the lifting member`l9.

Likewise, vwhen* the trailer is lowered, it will or- 25 `dinarily be moved downwardly until it reaches theahorizontal position of Figure 1, which is the flimit of: its downward movement. According to the invention it is contemplated to provide automatic throw-out means cooperative with the con- 60 `trolnleverl whereby, when the trailer B has been'v elevated: to its maximum extent of movement for dumping, the drive-on the power take- Aoff shaftl will be discontinued. This automatic ymechanism includes also supplemental devices 35 suchfthatfwhen the trailer B is lowered by adjustment ofthe lever 43 controlling a reverse ,drivingof the shaft.3|, and the trailer reaches its lower `limit ofrnovement, the drive -of the ,power take-off mechanism will again be discon- 40 .tinued automatically.

The yinstrumentalities for vaccomplishing the `last mentioned objects are shown best in Fig- -uresa1, 11 and1'l2. l.They include the cable 44 -whichisvattached to the rear end of the lifting 45 Amember l9,whichfcableis caused tobe pulled in an upwardI direction as the lifting member. |9 "rises tormove the; trailerto its 'dumping angle or position. As the lifting member I9 reaches that pointits-upward movement representing the 50 .upwardrlimit of movement of the trailer body '-fordumping, a-fpull is exerted on the cableA 4.which .fis` transmitted by the I-bolt connection l|,5,'see ligusre l1, to a bell-cranklever 46, to the :horizontal:armof which the cable 1s thus at- 5.5

itached. This causes a rocking movement of -the .said 'lever 46 imparting movement to its vertical Larm. 46a in such a manner as to cause longitui-dinalfmovement'o-f the actuating rod 41, which leads from the said arm 46a to the gear engaging 60 slide in thetransmission housing' 412, which slide, not shown,.is operated b-y the leverr 43. In this way, through the movement of the cable 44' and *the actuating eect of the rod 41, the power takeoif gearinglin the transmission housing 42- and 65 .the lever-43 are moved to neutral positionfand `itl-1e powerftake-off drive onthe liftingy pinion -shaft 29V and upward movement of .the lifting .bars 2| .are thus immediately discontinued.

yAccording tothe foregoing description, vthe FIO trailenB will have been raised to itsmaximum limit. of elevation for dumping and held in such position until the dumping is completed. Thereupon the operator, by actuation ofthe lever 43 `now at its -neutral adjustment, will throw in vthe .'15

power take-olf for the downward movement of the trailer to assume its normal horizontal traveling position, this downward movement being caused by an operation of the pinion shaft 29 reversely to that previously described for the elevation of the trailer body. As the trailer body reaches the lower limit of its movement, an extension 22a on one of the pivot pins 22 strikes a pivoted arm 48 pivoted at 49 to a bracket 50. The pivoted arm 48 coacts with a plunger 5|, which plunger is arranged to strike the bell crank lever 46 just at the time the pay-load body or trailer B reaches the downward limit of its movement. The impingement of the plunger 5| against bell crank lever 46 Will thus shift this bell crank lever in a direction opposite to that in which it is shifted by the action of the cable 44 as previously described. The reverse shifting of the lever 46 in the manner just set forth imparts movement to the rod 41 so as to again neutralize the power take-ofi gearing shifting the control lever'43 to its neutral position, ready for a subsequent operation such as has just been completely set forth. The slots 25 in the lugs 24 that connect the lifting bars 2| with the liftlng member i9 are intended to allow the lifting bars to continue to move a slight distance downwardly after the trailer or pay-load body B has been returned to its position with the fifth Wheel 8 dropped into place on the tractor, the ends of the shaft suitably re-engaged with or re-received within the recesses 1a in the saddle members 1. The above construction insures that no part of the trailer load will be carried directly on the lifting bars 2 I, or the lifting member I8, or any other parts of the hoisting mechanism, when the trailer unit is supported with the fifth Wheel on the tractor, and during the travel of the trailer and tractor vehicles on the road.

It is noted that the several control parts 48, 49, 50, 5|, 45, 4B, and 46a, are carried by the main frame or chassis of the tractor, being disposed in a position such that the arm 48 of course is in the path of movement of the extension 22a of one of the pins 22 by which the lifting bars 2| are connected with the lifting member I9.

It is evident from Figure 1 of the drawings that in the action of elevating the trailer B to its dumping position, if the tractor brakes-are locked or applied, the operation of the lifting member I9 will cause a bodily movement of the trailer forwardly toward the tractor, the trailer under such conditions traveling freely upon its supporting wheels 3 which move toward the rear wheels 2 of the tractor. When this operation takes place the brakes for'the trailer will of course not be applied'. On the other hand, if it be desired to dump the trailer by inclining it without any forward or bodily movement, the brakes of the trailer may be applied, and if the tractor brakes are unapplied, the action of elevation of the trailer as effected by the lifting member I9 will result in the pulling rearwardly of the tractor toward the rear wheels of the trailer. In other words, the performing of the operation of moving the trailer to its dumping position necessitates a relative movement of the tractor and trailer for obvious reasons, in the light of the foregoing description. The trailer b-rakes will be controlled from the tractor and these brakes may be pneumatically or electrically operated from the cab of the tractor. Pneumatic brakes involve the use of apressure line which runs from the tractor backwardly to a coupling at the front end of the trailer and then runs along the trailer chassis rearwardly toward the brake applying instrumentalities to allow for the upward movement of the trailer -5 when shifted to dumping position; a. certain amount of slack in this pressure line will be provided intermediate the front end of the trailer and the tractor.

The brake system employed, and above referred 10 to, may be of any conventional type, the brake pressure line being designated at 60 in Figure 1 of the drawings and being under the control of the hand lever 6| adjacent to the steering wheel 82. The pressure line 60 extends rearwardly un- 15 der the cab and is provided with a slack portion 60a which is connected with a coiled tension spring B3 attached to the back of the cab. The pressure line is adapted to be detachably connected with the front end of the trailer at the 20 point 64 and extends to the. motor 65 which is adapted to actuate the brake rods 66 and the usual brake equipment for the rear Wheels of the trailer B. Suitable mechanical brakes for the rear wheels of the tractor vehicle C operable by 25 the lever 61 and including the brake rods 68, shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, are also employed. The purpose of the spring 63 is to take up Vthe slack in the slack portion 60a of the pressure line 60 when the trailer body 5 ls in its 30 lowered normal traveling position.

While the trailer brake system features are conventional as stated, they differ from the ordinary tractor-trailer system in that the brakes acting on the trailer wheels are controllable in- 35 dependently of those acting on the tractor, this being necessary by reason -of the actions desired in holding the trailer when raising the trailer body, or holding the tractor when so doing.

One of the desirable advantages of the present 40 construction, as to operation, is illustrated by the adjustment of the vehicle parts in Figure 2 of the drawings. Owing to the fact that the fifth wheel 8 which cooperates with the king pin 52 of the trailer, see Figure 5, is peculiarly joined to the 45 lifting member 9, as previously set forth, in such a manner as practically to afford a universal joint connection between the trailer and said lifting member, the trailer body may be disposed at an angle, even at right angles, to the tractor 50 and lifted to dumping position while so arranged. This is an important method of operation of the invention because at times it is almost necessary to back the tractor-trailer vehicle combination into a narrow alley or space in which it would 55 be impossible for the tractor to be longitudinally aligned with the trailer at the time of dumping. Therefore, the dumping operation may be accomplished in much less space than under the conditions of a longitudinal alignment of the 50 tractor and trailer vehicles. The parts 6 constitute practically wood risers and are intended to be of a correct thickness to support the fifth wheel properly according to the frame height of different makes of tractors. It is well known 05 that the channels and chassis or frame of tractors are made. of different vertical dimensions and hence the foregoing provision to accommodate forthe application of the invention to different f styles or constructions of tractor vehicles at pres- 70 ent in use. It is to be borne in mind of course that the. brakes for the tractor are independent of the brakes for the trailer in order to permit of the separate operation of these brakes for the purposes previously set forth regarding the holdu connection between the said fifth wheel and the said lifting device, said universal joint connection comprising a trunnion member disposed longitudinally of the tractor and journaled in the lifting device, and a transverse axis member for the fth wheel carried by said trunnion member and including a hollow sleeve through which said transverse axis member passes, said trunnion member being mounted upon said sleeve, and

resilient means interposed between the 131th lo Wheel and said transverse axis member.

GEORGE H. CONNORS. 

